Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 27: Notwithstanding commitment made before the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) at the beginning of the last financial year, the much-hyped metering plan of the Power Development Department has remained entangled in the tendering and re-tendering difficulties and due to the prevailing situation the department is itself not sure when this important exercise will begin at the required pace.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Power Development Department, in its Multiyear Tariff Petition submitted before the State Electricity Regulatory Commission had pleaded that 100% metering of the consumers under various categories will be achieved by the end of 2015-16 financial year. In order to achieve this objective and put the metering of consumers on fast track, the PDD decided to outsource the complete job of supply and installation of meters across the State.
Accordingly, e-tender for 1.5 lakh single-phase meters along with 2-core armored cable and installation on turnkey basis was floated by the Chief Engineer EM&RE Wing, Kashmir on August 8, 2013. However, no tender was received in spite of several extensions and pre bid meetings held with several meter manufacturing/supply agencies. “The last extension was given on January 29, 2014 up to Feb 20, 2014 but again there was no encouraging response”, sources informed.
Similarly, the Chief Engineer EM&RE Jammu floated a tender for 1.5 lakh IR type meters along with 2-core armored cable and installation on turnkey basis on October 30, 2013. Due to poor response, extension was given and finally three tenders were received, sources said, adding these tenders after opening were deliberated in the contract committee of PDD, which observed that one of the bidders— M/s Genus had quoted a meter price of Rs 2493.30 against a meter price of Rs 1445.00 quoted by M/s J K Engineers for the same meter.
“Since M/s Genus is the original manufacturer of the meter, the cost quoted by them should have been lower than that quoted by M/s J K Engineers. The unreasonable rate quoted by the manufacturer, who is one of the bidders, made whole tender doubtful and the contract committee decided to cancel the tender”, they said.
“Due to poor response and doubtful tenders received the whole metering process suffered a setback during 2013-14 financial year”, sources said, adding “now the Department has decided to go for tendering of meters and other allied materials again through Procurement and Material Management (P&MM) Wing and the authorities are hopeful of a better response from manufacturers and genuine supplies of consumer meters”.
In response to a question, sources said, “the proposed metering plan for 2014-15 and 2015-16 financial years would be achieved only when the department comes out of the tendering and re-tendering difficulties”.
The department has planned to meter 3,69,203 connections, which include 3,38,702 domestic connections, 27374 non-domestic/commercial connections and 2824 agriculture connections during the current financial year. For the 2015-16 financial year, it has projected metering of 6,12,239 connections, which include 5,55,804 domestic, 50811 non-domestic/commercial and 4975 agriculture connections.
“Although the department is very optimistic about the success of metering regime in the areas where R-APDRP is being implemented, it is of the opinion that fast track metering in the rural and far-flung areas of the State may not prove effective unless other technical interventions and proper monitoring mechanism is put in place in these areas”, sources said while disclosing that in the areas under R-APDRP, several technical interventions and proper monitoring mechanism will prevent the misuse of distribution system.
“The department is apprehensive of further losses in these areas if metering is not made compliant in rural and far-flung areas”, they said.
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